The building is not up to code, the land lady is completely unprofessional between asking for rent early, not dealing with her hostile and potentially mentally ill boyfriend) and she likes to plead poverty when leaking roofs are not repaired all the while increasing the rent EVERY year. And if you think you are getting ANY of your security deposit back think again! They are unethical, unprofessional and will not hesitate to take advantage of you.
I rented a unit in hopes that I had found a nice place to live that accepts pets but it was a nightmare living near these two. The electricity was randomly shut off twice and the creepy boyfriend actually had the nerve to ask for my credit card to get it turned back on!
If you can avoid it rent elsewhere. The other tenants are cool people but the owners are something else. This review says it all:
THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE LIVING HERE.
For one thing--they may not be able to keep the building--they appear to have serious financial problems.
I gave Estelle Campbell and her boyfriend/partner (Allen Goldstein) a $2,000 cash deposit (Dec. 2010) to hold a studio/loft apartment while we ironed out the lease and details. After this, the lease was a moving target all aimed to help them out with their bank arrangement. Allen kept adding more and more conditions to the lease (like let's have you pay $1,800 but the lease will say $2,100 and then we'll give you a credit for the difference, but you will give us a piece of artwork--all because our bank needs to think we rent for the $2,100). There were also supposed to be repairs to the space which the weekend before signing the lease had not even begun. I began to feel very uneasy about all this and so I told them I did not feel comfortable and thought I was not the right tenant. I then asked for my deposit back and was told I'd have it within two weeks. (They had spent it.)
Two weeks later, I was told within a month. Then that there would be three payments over three months...etc...
Then the good-cop bad-cop show began...Allen wrote me a very hostile, personal email while Estelle said she was unaware (who knows). Estelle stopped returning emails and phone calls. I had to keep trying and calling.
After months of trying to be understanding (apparently they're going thru very bad financial times) I got a total of $300 back of the $2,000 they owe me. Then I decided to forgive the debt rather then deal with all the hassle, and wrote a note offering to forgive the debt, which was another note she never replied to. Go figure. I gave up-- I was not willing to go the two years that Jana went to get my money back.
I LOVE the building but would NEVER rent from her/them. Totally unprofessional landlord--SPENT my whole deposit before I even signed a lease!! (This was Dec 2010)... and yet, during all this time, they send me invites on Facebook to connect to them on Linked In and come see their plays at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. Are you kidding? read more